In my role as director of U.S. Government Relations for The Nature Conservancy, I have been asked to blog on my perspective on national conservation policy issues. And so, with some anxiety, this is my first installment.

I understand that the Internet and new media have become an important part of discussions about U.S. public policy, but participating in those discussions through a blog will be difficult both for me and for the Conservancy. Why?

For me, because I began my career in government when the electric typewriter was the state of the art and when daily newspapers were the primary medium for policy discourse.

For the Conservancy, because our organizational culture has always stressed being deliberate, science-based, avoiding confrontation and seeking common ground — perhaps not eye-catching in an age of instant exchanges of often strong opinions.